


Let’s get our signals clear (Cause our messages got messed up somewhere along the way)

by BreG21



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Because his lady gives him that push, But he figures it out in the end, Did I mention that? Because why not, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Identity Reveal, It doesn't stay that way of course, LadyNoir - Freeform, Love Confessions, Oblivious Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, One-side...dating?, Post Season 3, Reveal trash, They get the happiness because they deserve it, always fluff, is that a thing?, lots and lots of ladynoir
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:42:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24708523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BreG21/pseuds/BreG21
Summary: Chat Noir and Ladybug have been dating for almost a year.Chat did not get this memo
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 58
Kudos: 537





	Let’s get our signals clear (Cause our messages got messed up somewhere along the way)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GalahadWilder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalahadWilder/gifts).



> So GalahadWilder has this amazing two-shot called 'Kitty missed the message' and I LOVED it, and I asked if I could do my own take on the story, and they said okay! Thank you so much for the inspiration and storyline! I hope you guys enjoy!! Lemme know your thoughts!

The first time it happened...Chat tried not to think too much on it.

Afterall, with all the stress that had been caused in the past week following the Miracle Queen incident was beyond anyone's breaking point— therefore, he knew it could change a person's character, even in the slightest.

Which brought him to the point of Ladybug ringing his communicator, telling him to meet her on the rooftop of Notre Dom, at 23:00

She was already there, waiting for him on the rooftop that she had told him to meet at. Which, in retrospect, wasn't surprising. If Ladybug needed to talk to him about something urgent, she was usually on time, and by the sound of her voice when she called him, Chat could tell it was important.

But what he hadn't expected was to find her crouched on her hind legs, none the wiser to his presence as her back was to him, fiddling with something— from the looks of it, a makeshift… movie projector? Made, from what he could tell, some cardboard, and other such weird contraptions that he knew Ladybug had fixed up herself. She was always so crafty like that.

"M— Ladybug." He had to remember, she wasn't his lady and he kinda— sorta, not _officially_ — had a girlfriend. _Kagami_. Not _Ladybug_. "LB, hey. What's up?"

With the call of her name, she turned on a dime to face him, smile lighting up her features the second she _spotted_ him— Heh. "Hey, kitty. I have a surprise for us."

She then shifted the projector in her arms to present it more so for his eyes to see. To more of his shock, hidden beneath the invention, was a laptop, resting on a blanket nestled as protection from the granite.

He was confused, to say the least. "What's that all for?"

She shrugged, smiling so bright that no light in the entire _world_ stood a chance. His heart did a _tug_ and clenched. Reminding him once again that he couldn't, that it wasn't a possibility. She loved someone else.

But her happiness was still memorizing. "I thought we could have a movie night. The two of us. We've been so busy fighting akumas, and with how drastic they've been since I've become guardian, I figured we could use a break."

Chat almost choked as his lungs wanted to collapse and shatter in his chest. He stood there, arms linked to his sides with his whole body ridged to the spot, not really comprehending the situation presented before him. "O— oh."

This… this was going to have to take some time getting used to.

Pink dusted along the line of her mask, but her smile remained and even grew and her eyes twinkled with something that he wanted to look at forever and never let go and—

"Yeah." She broke through his scatterbrain thoughts. She shifted her gaze for only a second from him before she returned her focus. "I really think we both deserve this. So, c'mon."

Ladybug moved to the wall of a nearby chimney that met the edge of the rooftop and started to get everything in place, gesturing for him to sit next to her once everything was set.

He strolled over, but did so slowly, almost cautious with the idea that there was a chance she was a sentimoster or some other weird creature Hawkmoth or Muraya had conjured up.

But…as she turned back to him, nothing but excitement sprawled on her face, he knew it was the real Ladybug, That was his partner through and through. He still didn't understand though. "You didn't have to do this, bug."

Her smile lessen at that and he felt bad in a snap at the fact that he was the cause. But she quickly recovered. "I know. But we're partners. And everything— everything's just been so _heavy_ lately." Her face shrunk in a grimace for a second.

His instinct was to immediately console her. It always would be. "That's not your fault. It's life, we took on this responsibility. We knew there were gonna be hard times."

She looked down to look at the projector, thumbs running along the edges of it as she contemplated whatever thought that was fired up inside her head. "I know." She took a second to set down the machine before returning to stand in front of him, arms folding around her middle. "And with me being the guardian now…I just want to make my own time with this. Secret identities, yes. But I wanna know you, kitty. I already trust you completely. I know you in such a way that I've never known another person. But…. I'm tired of _not_ knowing you in the same sense, does… do you get that? Like _any_ of that?"

He nodded, brain too frazzled with the fact that she wanted to know him to be able to think of french words and how to communicate them. Instead, his brain ran through any language he knew just to figure out the proper feelings.

She giggled and his ears twitched at the sound. So her laugh and smile had competition with each other. No big deal. "Good. Next time it's _your_ job to bring the snacks. I may've… been in such a hurry that I forget them?"

He wanted to laugh, but it lifted just a little higher from his chest to his lungs and locked into place, refusing to bulge.

He nodded. Again— like an _idiot._

That didn't deteriorate the happiness that spilled over from the both of them as he took his spot next to her as Ladybug opened her laptop to scroll through her library of movies until she found the one she intended— beauty and the beast—and pushed it aside as the movie reflected on the bricks in front of them.

Despite how baffling this all was, the warmth that bloomed inside his chest was enough to fill any craves that confusion was settled in.

The movie only held half of his attention for the rest of the time.

* * *

It wasn't just the movies after that

It was also picnics, card games, any and every fun activities she could think of, or sometimes just plain old talking.

Two months into Ladybug taking the responsibility of guardian, and things were going well.

Especially with where he was right now. With Ladybug next to him, both lazily spread out on a blanket as they gazed up into the starry night skyline. Food was placed all throughout and Chat could honestly say he had never had a meal so filling as the one he had at that night.

Around a mouthful of food, Chat garbled out, "I kwo you hae amaing twlenta, bug." He swallowed before finishing his thoughts. "But baking has to be on the top ten list of things you can do."

She gleamed before taking a large bite of her own macaroon. "Thanks, kitty. Baking's a great past time for me. Not my favorite of all things to do, but I do really like it. It keeps me busy when I get bored."

He smiled. It felt so good getting to know her. He loved her, and while that fact was still there for the moment, there was also something he couldn't deny that was freeing in her friendship. Like, there was a weight lifted from his shoulders at not trying to impress her, win her over every time they met up.

Being able to learn something about her even in the smallest of ways, meant so much in ways he wouldn't be able to every fathom. She was someone solid in his life when everything else wasn't. It was a nice change that he didn't want to give up

And yes, he felt guilty in the sense of his relationship with Kagami and having feelings for another girl, but he was trying his best. He was _trying_ , and that had to count for something, right? Ladybug had been his first love, was it okay for her to still have a piece of his heart?

This was good— and _happy_. "I'm glad, little bug."

She gave an appreciative smile, taking a small bite of her own food, swallowing before speaking. "What about you? Any interests that you like?"

While his father was the one to insist on it, one particular hobby did come to mind— and the reason with it. "Piano." He answered easily.

Her brow furrowed, and he knew she was trying to picture a grainy image inside her head of him actually playing piano. He probably didn't seem like the type. She shook her head and confirmed his suspicions. "You don't strike me as a classical musical type."

He threw his head back and laughed. "I know." He shrugged, "My mother played with me. I was young and I grew up on that. My father insisted that I kept playing throughout the years."

Somehow it seemed she knew that the subject of his mother was a touchy thing, as she didn't press on it, rather, she inched closer, nudging his shoulder with her own. A teasing grin on her lips. "Think you could play for me one day?"

He was trying _trying_. But that thing thudding in his chest wasn't. Chat nodded numbly, doing his best to command his heart to settle back into his usual place.

But it was in vain.

It escaped into her hands long ago.

And as much as Chat knew he should, and as horrible as it sounded knowing he was kinda with someone, he had long ago given up trying to reclaim it. He would just have to find new ways to love another, even if his heart resided with someone else.

In the end, he knew. It was in the safest place it could be anyways.

* * *

"Hey, what do you have there?"

Ladybug pivoted from waist up to get a sideways glance at him, but kept her legs crossed, one hand braced behind her on the thin metal railing she resided on for now. Her other hand held a rather small device.

Once she had reorganized it was him, that smile that he was growing accustomed to bloomed and he eagerly returned it. She brought her hand up to showcase the object better for his view and he discovered it was an ipod.

"Just something I picked up after saving for a while." She explained. From what he knew, she had a small side job, nothing too big, but it did put a little money in her pocket. "And I figured I'd bring it for us to share."

As nice as the thought was, it still left him a little baffled. "What for?"

She chuckled. "Don't know. I wanted to show you some of my favorite songs, and I could have you download some of yours. And then on the nights where we're bored, we could listen." She shrugged mindlessly. "Just to give us something to do."

He shuffled over to her, palm up as to accept it. And once she placed it in his hand, he scrolled through her songs. A lot of Jagged Stone, a few other artists. She definitely had some good taste. He looked up back to her. "You like Jagged too?"

She nodded enthusiastically "Yeah, once I—" she cut herself short, as if she could say what she actually wanted to, and he took it as something to close to her real identity to know. "I just really love his music." Her shoulders wilted into a small slouch as she swapped her reply with whatever she originally wanted to say.

He nodded along, happy to just have her gushing about her favorites songs, and made it a point to bring that up in hopes of bringing back that smile of hers. "Jagged's awesome. Are you sure you're okay with me adding a few of my favorites too?"

Her head bobbled again, her eyes keeping that glint once more, bad mood washed away. _There we go_. "Yes. I want this to be ours, something to share. Just us."

So he moved closer, opening the app store that had even more music as they scrolled through hits, and favorite albums, and what was trending, they showed personal faves, ones they agreed on, and ones they didn't, and it was all so fun that Chat didn't want the night to end, though he knew it would.

They created three playlists out of the hundreds of songs they downloaded, ones for him when she didn't feel like listening, one for her when he didn't and one for them when they wanted to listen together.

It was his favorite. She labeled it _The bug and Chat Team._

_Because Ladybug didn't sound half as cool without Chat Noir._

Yeah, this was a good night.

* * *

"Hey, kitty?"

He hummed. "Yeah, Ladybug?"

Even with his back pressed up against hers, he could tell she had dropped her knitting kit in her lap— she apparently loved to knit— and dropped herself further against him. He could feel the ends of pigtails tickle the base of his neck. "What's your biggest fear? Like…. What scares you most in the world?"

He didn't even have to think. That was an all to easy answer that wanted to pop from his mouth. It was always there. "Losing people."

She stiffened against him, her head turning without even having to look. "Oh," Dropped from her mouth without much sound. Because even he knew— what else _was_ there to say?

Nothing. There was nothing one could say to that, and in his mind, Chat was okay with that.

But he still knew she would try to reassure him after she procced what he had said, so he beat her to it. Because she still understood the meaning buried underneath. "It's..it's okay. It's… better. The beginning was hard, I won't lie. But it's been over a year now. It's easier."

It was better. _Easier_ — not _great,_ but he was finding a way to _breathe_ again.

Because she was there, his partner, supporting him through it all, even if she wasn't physically around. Even when they went their separate ways back into their civilian lives, she was somehow still there with him.

Her upper torso twisted to get a better look at him and he had to remind himself that as a human, he still needed to breathe— even if he was a superhero.

Because she was giving him a look, and he didn't know what to call it. He only knew that it equates to her punching a fist through his chest to squeeze his lungs. Morbid, yes, but it was the only thing he could describe when seeing her look at him like that. "Even so, kitty. It's okay to need to talk to someone when it hurts."

He shrugged. "I don't have many people to talk about it in my everyday life. The people that are supposed to care, don't have the best way of showing it, and the people that do…" His mind flashed to Nino, Marinette, Alya, Kagami. All the amazing people that he had met in the past year that he grew to care so much about. But one by one, he remembered everyone becoming akumatized. How everyone else had their own life. Their own problems. He looked away, like if he did that, maybe, the reality would run off into the horizon that his eyes were set on. "I don't wanna burden them with that."

She circled out of her position to face him fully, legs now curled under her knees. The knitting items in Ladybug's hands were cast to the side. Her hand came to rest on his shoulder. "You're not a burden, Chaton." She whispered fervently. "Never that."

He smiled and it felt so good. For the first time in a long time, he believed that. "Thanks, Ladybug."

She returned the gesture and he scolded his heart once more for the flips it did from her smile. "Anytime, moninu." She paused, eyes lingering on his face. Her hand squeezed once more on his shoulder. "If you ever need to, you can tell me. You can talk to me about what… makes you feel like that."

His eyebrow shot up almost instantly. "Really? What about identities?"

"Just between you and me," she leaned in to whisper and the air became thin in the space between them. "I heard the new guardian is a little less strict as of late. Especially seeing the black cat holder not being himself lately." Her index now brushed against the leather of his shoulder, a delicate touch. "Yes, kitty. We need to be careful, but I need my partner, my friend by my side. Clear head and all. And as my friend, I want to know what's troubling you. Even if it's vague. You deserve better— _more_ than that. You understand?"

_He would not cry he would not cry he would not cry._

Funny thing was, he already had _more_ when he stood next to her. Nothing in the world could be offered that would compare.

The blurry vision was just allergies— yeah. Allergies. "Okay."

She nodded, one quick little bob before she hummed in an even tone of the mutual agreement left unspoken. Eyes watched as a couple down below in the park had obviously just finished their date, started to pack up, and head home since it was so late.

But that brought up another thought in his head. "What about you. What are some of your fears?"

Her head inched sideways, and even from the sideways viewpoint that he saw her, he could see the way she drew her bottom lip between her teeth. "I think…" She seemed to fumble for a content answer before she finally found it. "I think my biggest fear is rejection."

_Hm._ Surprising in some ways, in others not. She _was_ Ladybug, but she was also human too. A lot of people had that fear. "What about exactly?"

She shrugged. "A lot of things. I'm Ladybug, yeah, but I'm not perfect. I can't get everything I want. The boy I liked, that's one example," She looked away and he tried to hide his own dejection at the thought of her loved one. "That never worked out." He would ignore that for _now._ "Then there's school, future jobs, future careers." She motioned towards the discarded ball of yarn as if to say that there was something within that that she wanted as her future. "There's so much, and we're so young. Everything's so uncertain."

He couldn't help but agree and understand. The uncertainty of life was always a hard concept. Add that with the rejection of thinking maybe you had something right or what you wanted and it was a recipe for disaster. What did his future hold? What would his job entail? Would he always be model for his father, or would he be able to break free and do what _he_ wanted?

That…. That never seemed to be really an option in his mind up until now.

What about being a superhero? Being Ladybug's partner? Would…. Would she eventually leave him too?

She didn't seem to take notice of his runaway thoughts as she continued. "But rejection, I think it'll always be a part of life. It's things we have to come to accept and grow from. To learn from. It's not about the fall itself that's so big, it's more on how we learn to get back on our feet and the lesson we take from it to move forward."

That actually made sense and resonated somewhere in his chest.

Out of nowhere, she made to grasp his hand. "I do know one thing though— in all this uncertainty."

"What's that?"

She smiled again and everything fell into place. "I'm not doing it without you by my side."

And _that._

Well, that washed away every ounce of doubt.

* * *

"Were— were there ever any girls you were considering before…"

Chat couldn't quite grasp what she meant by _before_. Maybe before things had gotten increasingly hard with Hawkmoth, before he started spending even more time with her when he thought he had a chance of letting go.

Either way. He was honest with her. He always would be. "I tried." He confessed, throat suddenly very constricting against the air that wanted to flow through. He had to swallow a few time to push back whatever feeling was building there. "But… I kept imaging _you_ in her place. I wanted it to be you. And I knew that wasn't fair to her."

His breakup— or what he considered a break up from not even being in an official relationship— was… hard. But Kagami and he knew it wasn't working. After an entire month and a half. There wasn't that _click_ that he so desperately wanted with her. Not when his heart lie with another. It hadn't been fair to her.

Ladybug seemed… neutral on that, eyes watching him intently though. "I'm sorry I pushed you to that. Moving on when you clearly weren't ready to. I should've just told you no instead of pushing you away like that."

He shook his head. "You did tell me no. I shouldn't've pushed you like I had. You didn't want me." And he didn't think she ever would. Even if he wanted to hope. "That wasn't fair to you."

The left side of her lip quirked into a smooth smile before she scooched herself closer and resting her head on his shoulder. "This okay?" She whispered. "It's…. not too late? Do you still want…?"

Ladybug trailed off, eyes gauging him with a flood of worry, anxiety curving her eyebrows and dipping into her endless blue eyes and he wanted nothing more than wash away any fear crowding her mind.

That did leave him wondering though. Was she talking about their friendship? Because that'd always be okay. Why she would even question that, was beyond him. Maybe she thought after her rejecting him more than once, that he'd give up on their friendship? But he would never do that. "Of course? It's never too late."

That had to be what was talking about. He knew how much value she put in their friendships, and he did as well. When he saw the harden half frown on her lips lift and mold back into her easy and beautiful smile, he knew whatever he said eased what was getting to her.

"Thank you." She whispered and then moved closer to relax against him and promptly make all his insides turn to nothing but mush.

It would always be okay.

* * *

Ladybug started…. To get a little more affectionate after that.

Let him back up for a minute— no, nothing inappropriate nothing unwelcome, and certainly not without asking, especially when he froze up, though that was becoming less and less, and he had just started to welcome her familiar touch each and every time.

But no, for as long as Chat had known his partner, physical affection was rare— he cherished those rare moments— and always so quick. And at first, he thought nothing too much of it.

Maybe she was just opening up to him in her own way. Showing even more trust in their relationship, partnership, and all.

There was a moment, a pinpoint, however, of when Chat had honestly questioned his existence and whether or not he was still alive and in his reality, or if he was trapped by an akuma without even knowing it. Where the physical affection wasn't something he couldn't just brush off into nothing.

Because one day, one _glorious, magnificent, pawticular_ -out of this _world—_

Okay, maybe he should stop—

_Day,_ Ladybug, in all her spotted glory, came bouncing over rooftops to meet him for what he thought would be on their scheduled patrol, with matching black hoodies, a pair of large framed glasses and shoved it in his arms without him quiet being to grasp what she was doing.

"Here," She said, thrusting some flimsy paper into his hand. "I prebooked our tickets— for the latest showing, so that there aren't many people and we'll have less of a chance of being seen."

He was so incredibly lost. "W-What?"

Her fingers started to fumble with the fabrics of clothing she had brought. Her shoulders lifted and fell as she kept her eyes firmly on the items in her hands. "I just thought...we could go to an actual movie. You always asked and I figured… Y'know. I know we have our rooftop movie and things….but I thought it'd be— " Her feet kick around what little rubble there was on the rooftop that resided. "A little more official?"

_What?_

But whatever she was saying, whatever she was offering, he knew he had to keep a somewhat cool composure. Even if it wasn't much. "Sure—" He gulped, typing to bottle the little air that he could. Because it felt like she was asking something in the realm of a date, even though he knew that wasn't the case. "Cool. Yeah sure."

If his head wasn't in such a foggy, complicated state, he would've sworn her face looked warm underneath the edges of her mask. "Yeah, cool."

"Cool."

Him repeating her words weren't, and probably made him sound like a bumbling idiot, but what was he to do?

_It was an almost date_ — even if it wasn't. He'd take what he could get.

That, however, wasn't what actually got him in the end, no. Definitely not.

Once night had fallen, they covered up, transformations dropped in place— and yeah, he was freaking out on the inside by the simple idea that Ladybug was right next to him, detransformed as if it was the most natural thing for her— of the hoodies, and big framed glasses that hid their identities just as much as the masks.

Albite, these could fall off, but they would be careful, Ladybug wouldn't have done this if she had thought otherwise.

It felt dangerous, he wouldn't lie, but the thrill was something else. The risks they were taking were something of an adrenaline rush and he did not take lightly of the fact that Ladybug was doing this for him, for them, it made it on a whole other level of trust and caring about him that he just couldn't place.

And then they were sitting next to each other, in a dark theater, with very few others about in the building.

It felt like their own little world and when she went in to, what he could only call it as cuddling, he had to remind himself that this was not a date and Ladybug did not feel that way towards him. Period.

But was this girl trying to make him combust? With her head on his chest as if she had done so a thousand times over, he wouldn't be surprised if that was her goal.

Her eyes were glued to the screen and his to hers for a second as the movie played as a backdrop that created a soft glow against her face. Her hands picked at the popcorn and candies that was shared between then and he could only conclude one logical explanation for one hundred percent positivity.

Yes, yes indeed she was trying to make him combust. She _had_ to be doing this on purpose.

The movie finished and Chat had to say he was honestly impressed with it— though there was a time or two where he had been lost in the feeling of Ladybug pressed up against him— but overall, he enjoyed it and as they exited the movies, they went back and forth on the parts that they enjoyed, and the parts that could've been improved.

What really hit him though was when she started talking about her favorite parts, reeling them from her point of view. Somehow it almost felt like he was watching it all over again from a new perspective and it was so much better just by her rambling of what she loved.

He was such a goner for this girl when he shouldn't be. But he was too lost to care.

As they just made it to the sidewalk, Chat thought this was where it'd end, where they would say their goodnights, that the best night thus far in his life would come to a close and he could go home a happy cat because he actually had spent more than an hour with this amazing person in front of him. And she _cuddled_ with him, actually _cuddled._

_He was never gonna get over it._

How could he ask for more than that? She couldn't do much more than what she already had to make his lungs burst from his chest, right?

But no, apparently he was dead wrong on that. Seeing as she had other plans, by taking his hand and pulling him away until they were covered in shadows in a near off alley way. She leaned up on the tips of her toes—

And kissed his cheek. That was what sent Adrien Agreste— also secretly Chat Noir, partner to the amazingly incredible Ladybug— to his _grave._

And throughout all this, his mouth dropping to the concrete and bumbling mess of trying to get his lips to form words because Ladybug was looking at him tentatively and almost _wrecked_ like and _kwami_ if his lips would just move.

Chat realized he really didn't mind the early death. She was the one to put him in there after all.

He should probably say thank you.

"Well, okay then." She squeaked almost to fast for his slacking brain to comprehend. He could recognize that it was her voice saying something even when everything else was flushed out into white noise around them. But he still couldn't get what were words actually were. It kinda sounded like a goodbye. Maybe? " _Seeyoulater—bye!"_

And she was gone.

He stumbled out of the alleyway, knowing there were people walking about. Knowing that he had to watch out for pedestrians. He knew life was still going on around him but nothing connected as he unclipped his baton from his belt and began to parkour home. Everything was at a hazy distance even as the night air brushed past exposed skin.

Chat was still rebooting long after changing back to Adrien and far into the entire night.

* * *

"So, you know how cats have nine lives?"

Chat's eyes lifted from the ice cream cone grasped in his hand to meet his partners, lips half dipped in a soft frown. The question was out of nowhere. "I mean, I _have_ said that to you before."

Her whole face brightened at him confirming whatever she was trying to set out. She completely ignored her dripping chocolate mint and melting inro the peach flavor of the bottom scoop. Her attention was on him instead and had every intention to enjoy each second if it. "I know."

When she didn't further explain herself, Chat couldn't help but prompt her. "So…."

The smirk that pulled her lips was something that reminded whim of a cat when waiting for his a mouse to fall into its trap. "Well." She drawled, as if she knew exactly what she was doing to him and enjoying every second of it. "You mind sharing them with me?"

Tingles. Tingles skimmed along every line and curve of his body. It wasn't the best joke in the world, but the implications rung loud and clear.

Was…. was that her attempt at flirting with him? At her kickstarting a flirt?

No…. no. It was just a joke. Maybe on the more flirty side, but still. She made it clear what they were. Friends. _Friends._

He was happy with that. "Bug, I'd give you all of my nine lives. All you need is to ask."

Because he would. He has. He'd die for her. Over and over because that was something of their dynamic no matter how much she didn't like it. He would protect her. Wanted to protect her. He knew without a shadow that she would always bring him back, or he would find a way to get back to her side.

Come rain or shine, he would make sure of that.

Her mood seemed to downtraught at that, as he saw memories of him protecting flashed across her eyes. Everything turned somber. "I know." But she was swift in turning back with a happy tune, washing away whatever distance thoughts she had of the past in favor of continuing her joke and packing away whatever pain those memories held. "But those nine lives couldn't compare without a lifetime with you and me."

And then she _winked_. In all Chat Noir style and he swore that the heaven themselves opened from above and angels began to sing.

Not knowing how to really take that, the only thing he _could_ do was break out in loud belly aching laughter. Hands went to his sides as he tried to get a hold of his breathing because this was such a weird situation. How else was he supposed to act anyway?

"T-that was a good one, bug." Breathing more through his mouth than his nose, he wiped a stray tear that escaped out the corner of his eye. "I think I'm really starting to rub off on you."

Any lingering thoughts in his head that her words may have meant more than just two friends joking around were essentially slapped away as she joined in on their laughter. "Yeah, that one was pretty weak, wasn't it?"

Chat had to agree, but he'd help her improve. Just like a good friend. "Not a bad start though. And with me as a teacher, you'll be to my level in no time. I'll have to bring you some of my anime's. They really helped me in the beginning. Don't worry, none of those teachings will be during battle. I know— pick my timing."

Her whole face brightened aknew. "Thanks, mon Chaton."

The flame of hope of her returning his feelings had died nine months ago. The day she had become the guardian and the day he realized she would never want to be more than friends.

But today…. Today a spark seemed to flicker.

Somewhere, _somewhere_ in the back of his mind.

* * *

If Chat thought things were weird before, they were absolutely insane now.

Now, call him crazy, call him naive, oblivious, sheltered, whatever you like.

But the past two weeks, Chat was pretty sure something was not right. Maybe he was in another reality. Maybe Ladybug was a sentimoster this time and had been for the past couple weeks. Maybe his father had worked him too hard and this was all a crazy, fantasy self induced dream. Maybe—

Okay, maybe it was all a stretch, but it was all more realistic than what was seeming to be happening, here.

Because it felt like at certain times, when things were calm or they had a moment to themselves, well, it felt like Ladybug was actually trying to kiss him.

On the lips.

Now, hold up, he knew how that sounded. Ladybug was not interested in him, so there was no way for what he thought had been happening to be real. And while he had given up on any real thoughts that they would ever be, but he still would always feel for her.

He doubted that could ever really vanish. First loves, _didn't._

And add to the fact that he _was_ getting used to her kisses, but those were on the cheeks. It was almost familiarity territory at this point to feel her move past his face to plant a small peck onto the simple patch of skin. It was almost becoming a habit— and it was starting to be a something similar knowing the sun would rise in the east and set in the west

It was just so _natural_ at this point.

But then they were here, in this particular situation— there had been others that had lead him to believe that she was trying to kiss him, but this was something completely different.

They were tangled in her yo-yo, nothing amiss from an akuma or anything, but having just reached her fifteenth birthday— which he didn't know when, just knew it was recently within the past couple of months and it was something he locked away tight in his heart to treasure forever now that he relatively knew his partners birthday— they apparently had gained a couple new upgrades.

As Tikki and Plagg had explained before they transformed and met up for their nightly patrol, as they grew older, they would be able to unlock special abilities. Such as new powers, new power-ups. They would even be able to hold their transformations as long as they wished, though that wouldn't come until they hit adulthood.

So, here they were, having found that Ladybug's yo-yo would have some special tricks, and her wanting to try them out, and with her being so new to it, making a couple mistakes, landing them in being tangled together, The bangle of her weapon swished them in long strokes through the warm spring air.

And don't get him wrong, Chat was quite happy with the turn of events, even if he shouldn't be.

He had to respect what their relationship was. Nothing was allowed to shake that up. End of discussion. He adored their friendship.

But then…. Then Ladybug did something. And he didn't even know what to call it.

She looked at him, as they swung lonely in an abandoned street of their city. No one around but them. She looked at him in an almost...familiar way.

A way that he had looked at her. A way that he fought tooth and nail to keep locked down and not to show anymore because she didn't want it. It had been so long since he had looked at her that way that he knew he couldn't be reading this right.

Like he hung the stars and moon in her world. Like _he_ was the reason that everything around them was okay because she was looming at him. The look held so much, and showed in such a simple way that it left him reeling.

Her lips parted ever so little. Eyes blown open, the blush on her didn't just peak out underneath the edges of her mask this time, no, it warmed her entire face. Her ocean blue eyes were a light with something and waves crashed against the shore of whatever was in them that looked a lot like an emotion he dared not put a name to.

Because that was too dangerous. He already had his hopes up once, and he remembered how easily that went and burned up in his face.

He also didn't want to add more to her plate. Six months in of her new responsibilities— they weren't new anymore, he was quite aware of that fact, but still— and he couldn't bring up feelings that he knew she wouldn't return.

But that look was slowly killing him.

"Bug." He whispered. Because he knew if he said it any louder, the words would be a screech. Or sound something other than human. "What's wrong?"

Her eyes went back to his, and a question that he never expected was brought right out and into the open. "Why don't you call me your lady anymore?"

It was such an off question, at an odd time in an entirely _odd_ situation. He was able to push away any thoughts of her staring at his lips for the moment with such a thought was presented.

A part of him wondered if he had even heard her right. "What?"

Ladybug's eyes dipped the side, trying to avoid looking at him as much as she was allowed in the small space. "You...you never call me your lady anymore— or any nickname for a fact really besides bug. Haven't heard bugaboo in months."

Because that was how he showed romantic feelings with intimate nicknames like that. His lady. And she wasn't, so he didn't. But instead, he whispered. "I thought you weren't fond of the nicknames."

It was a question and an answer all in one. It also prompted her to look at him again, fear still lingered but she braved on like she always did. "I never knew how much I'd miss it. Especially," Her voice dropped, speaking so quiet, slowly, as if she was spilling her most scarce of secrets. "Since… everything's changed."

And there was that blush again. The red that tinted the soft pale skin was becoming more and more of a regular occurrence and Chat couldn't understand why it set his heart aflutter each and every time it grazes his sight.

"Why didn't you say anything? You could've just told me you were missing the nicknames." He replied, matching his tone to hers as to not break the bubble that encased them. "I'd be more to head any request, bugaboo."

And while it was said without any flirting underlying the name, he meant it with the utmost truth and sincerity. Anything she wanted, he'd give. As he had learned, she may not have found big romantic gestures and pronouncing his love for her to the world as her own ideal way of romance, with promising to her that he would care and be by her side wherever she needed him, he could only hope she would see that.

Chat was learning, and even if he wasn't trying to woo her the same way, he still wanted her to know what she meant to him.

"I know, kitty." Her whispers brought him back to the present— though, he was still dazed in lingering thoughts— but in all honesty, they could've been mistaken for the wind if he didn't know his partner's voice so well. "Trust me, I know."

And that was when he fully snapped out of it and realized that her eyes had once again traveled with slight gestation— also as if she was trying to stop herself— back down to his lips.

For whatever reason and much to his utter— but in other ways, happy— confusion, a look of determination set into her features. Much like how she looked at an akuma and the battle before them.

Nothing but strength and a plan detailed in that beautiful conducted head of hers.

And when her head inched closer, Chat was sure this wasn't happening. It couldn't be. She didn't _want him._

Just as their lips brushed— a tingle electrical spike pulsing down his spine at the smallest touch and life cease to exist outside their bubble—

A boom alerted in the background.

Chat wanted to curse slightly. But his Mother taught him better than that.

Later on, with the akuma having been taken care of— of course, it had to be a stupid akuma— and the victim safely escorted home, he and Ladybug had taken one more look around the city to make sure there were no more things going amiss.

All the while, neither spoke about the possible— though not likely, it had to just be his mind playing tricks on him— almost kiss the two (could've?) Shared.

It didn't matter either way. Whether or not the intentions were real.

When he scurried away for home afterwards, and landed himself straight into his bed, Adrien couldn't stop touching his lips. A magnetic force drew his hand to his mouth. He tried to control it, he really did.

The ghost of her lips would forever be embedded into his heart. And he would treasure that for the rest of his nine lives.

* * *

A year was what broke him.

It shattered any and all delusional ideas that what was happening between him and Ladybug was just friends.

It wasn't the date that marked her being a guardian for a full year, no that had passed a couple months ago. In which, they did celebrate. Nothing big, fancy, or grand. Just a small intimate meeting where they grabbed some goodies from Marinette's bakery— he would forever love his friend's pastries— and founded an isolated rooftop with a cozy blanket set underneath them to enjoy some stargazing.

Ladybug also let the kwamis out for a short time to join them in some fun. They played chase, ate some food, and laughs were had— all in all it was a nice break from reality.

But as fun as that celebration had been, it wasn't _the_ anniversary that broke him.

It was the one where, Ladybug had buzzed his communicator well late in the night— maybe it had been early morning but he was really too tired to care to check— and he had sped across rooftops, not allowing anything to stop him on his path.

It was the one where, when he finally touched down onto the location she had GPS'd his tracker, he was panting hard with very little air to engulf until he actually got ahold of himself.

It was the one where, when he finally did, what his sight in took, knocked the air that he just regain, out once more.

Because there in front of him, sat a table for two, decorated in candles, a few flowers, some unknown— but delicious looking— food. Music sweetened— from their playlist— in the background. It all painted too perfectly for a romance movie straight from the screen.

And Ladybug— no, his lady because he had been given very special permission to use that nickname again, he reminded himself— stood perfectly still next to the presented table. Still clad in her suit.

Her hands were rung tightly together in front of her, whole face locked onto him as she watched every inch of a move that he made. A bashful hue heated her face and he wondered what possibly could be running through her head. Her bottom lip was between her teeth and her cheeks were puffed with something akin to... _something._

Worry? Fear? Even anticipation was on the tip of his tongue, but he wasn't sure how that exactly fit in this unknown situation.

"Hey." He breathed, still not understanding what was taking place before him. "Why the urgent call? And what's all," He paused as hed flung out his arms at the scene, "This?"

She giggled, all bells and angelic sounds, but he fought to keep a level head. "I thought we'd celebrate our one year."

His head tilted, trying to connect the dots— or in this case, _spots,_ but he'd leave that pun to himself for now— as to what she was saying. "Our one year?" But their one year had already passed. He remembered that night well. "Our one year for what?"

That bashful smile slowly faded from her lips and Chat wished desperately to take back his question so that smile could stay. Instead, it twisted into a frown made of confusion. "For...us?"

For them? The words repeated in continuous loops as if her words were made up of a playlist with only one song to listen to. _Of them of them of them…_

"For us?" Suddenly, nothing seemed feasible. The world was nothing but mush around him, but her. He could somehow focus clearly on her as he had to garble it— with no harshness to his tone he mouthed the words with air rather than anything else— "Ladybug, you can't say things like that— you can't."

This— whatever she was doing was wearing on his heart. It sounded like how a girlfriend would treat her boyfriend but he wasn't a boyfriend and she wasn't a girlfriend and that just wasn't what they were.

Or… at least—He… he had been so sure of it.

Her eyebrows met as her nose scrunched and mouth hardened more into its already low frown. "Why...what's wrong with me wanting to celebrate our one year?"

_Their one year_. That was a whirlwind of a sentence but he still didn't get it. Why did she keep saying that? Did she know _what_ she was saying? What she was explicitly implying? That she was implying them?

That was when he broke. Officially. Ladybug broke him in such a sweet way. "Because you're implying us in a way that I've always dreamed for." Because somewhere, he still dreamed, even if it hurt. "And I know you don't.."

She took a step closer, obviously just as lost as he was. "Implying? What do you mean by implying, mon chaton. This is our one year since we started dating, right?"

He choked. He couldn't have heard her right. She wouldn't lead him on. She wasn't cruel like that, never could be. But for her to be hinting to them dating. That wasn't possible— she wasn't— they weren't—

"What?"

She arched her back, but didn't step away. "We're….. We're dating," Her confidence of the idea switched into a repeat of her question, shoulders now deflating as recognition set in, "Right?"

And in the same way someone hits a light switch in a room that had been submerged in darkness for hours on end, light came flooding in a blinding speed. "We— we're dating?"

Ladybug shrunk in on herself. "I thought we were— for a year. Since that night on the roof when I asked if there was any other girl and if it was okay to...y'know." Her blush deepened. "Date."

That night was so crystal clear, it was easy to remember. That was things started to change between them. The domino effect that started it all. Looking back, he saw just how blind he'd been to it all. "Oh."

Now being on the same page, Ladybug started to bounce back and forth, favoring one leg over the other for a few seconds. "But. If you don't want to, we don't have to." He could hear her muttering words like _idiot_ and _stupid_ between breaths. "I just thought." He saw when it finally all caved in. "Oh gosh, I thought for a year—"

Chat didn't waste a second in letting her think anything horrible. "No, no. Bug. Ladybug. Bugaboo."

Finally, her frantic catheterizing died down at the call of his nickname for her, as she realized she was safely snuggled in the warmth of his arms, all slowly started to make its reappearance. Her arms were though, were almost sewn to her sides, to stiff with fear to move. "Bugaboo. I'm not mad or anything, if that's what you're thinking. I just didn't know."

Her ocean blues are so wide, it would've been comical if not for the situation they were in. "You're not?"

Why would he be? If… if he was understanding, if they were on the same page, then this was the best day of his _life._ Taking her chin, she titled her head back to him to directly keep her eyes on him. "I'm not. Heck, I'm not rejecting you. I'm just confused." He chuckled. "Confused, but _happy."_

She softened in his hold and he could almost hear the relief opening her lungs back to normal capacity. "If I'm being honest, I have to agree. I haven't been subtle." The vibrations from her laugh vibrated against his chest that rivaled his purs. "The cheek kisses, dates, me initiating the first myself. The almost kisses."

Boldness and boundaries that he had been programmed into his brain with his partner played a small war inside. But in the end, knowing that she was okay with this, that she _wanted him_ , he lowered his head and his lips teased a few strays of hair. "One thing I don't get is why you didn't just kiss me if we've been together for a year."

Her arms no longer stuck to her sides, loosing to wrap around his waist and nuzzling her head deeper into his neck. "I thought you were nervous." That beautiful giggle again. "I know you act all macho and smooth, but I _also_ know underneath that, you're shy, mon chaton. I was trying to go into this slowly. And I know how I have you wrapped around my finger."

He snorted. "You could probably punch me in the face and I'd say thank you."

"Exactly." Her nose butted against his. "Which is why I didn't jump in and kiss you outta the blue. Those times I was trying to kiss you, I was trying to make obvious so that you had time to know. And that way I wouldn't have a puddle of goo in the shape of a cat at my feet."

"You don't gotta call me out like that." He snickered, tightening his cradle against her and his lips relaxed so easily into a sweet smile. Everything was finally making sense. "But still. I had a chance to kiss you and didn't know it?"

"You still have a chance." She muttered against him. "If… if you still want. I do, before you ask. But…. it's up to you, I understand if you don't. I know I rejected you so many times—"

He shook his head. "You could've done it a million times over. I love you, bugaboo. I've tried to move on, but I've come to a point that I would always be in love with you. That wasn't going away, not easily at least. I knew if I ever did find someone else, it would have to be natural. And it would be a long time."

"I'm sorry."

He shushed her, pulling away just enough so he could look at her and ran a finger gently down the side curve of her face. "Don't be. I don't regret loving you. I'm happy loving you, even when I'm not yours."

The left side of her face pulled into a heart fluttering smile. "You are, mon chaton." Her fingers ran the lifted to sweep the length of his cheek under his mask. "Always. Just as I'm yours. As long as you want."

"That's a long time, my lady." Heavy breathing as the world around slowly sunk in. "We're talking forever here."

The smile curled, transforming it into a smirk."I'm up for the challenge."

Oh, so she was gonna okay this game, was she? Okay.

Her eyes twinkled.

Okay, never mind. He was gonna have to tap out. Forget this

Doing his best to clear his throat, he asked, "So, now that I know we're for a fact, dating—"

Now that she was more at ease, she was fast to quip back with, "A fact that has been as such for a year—"

He waved her off. "Let's leave the past in the past. Anyways. Do I.. by chance get to know the name of the boy you were in love with, or at least something about him?"

She stilled, lips pursed in a weird sideways— very kissable, which was something he had been allowed to for a while now— pout as she thought on his request. He knew he was asking a lot of her, but he just wanted to know. "Doesn't really matter anymore, does it? I'm choosing you. He'll always hold a place in my heart, I can't deny that, kitty. But I'm moving on, choosing you."

His chest pulled at the idea that after so long, she wanted _him_. _Actually wanted him_. "I know it doesn't." His ears flapped against the soft wind that tumbled through the air. "But.. I can't help but wonder— curiosity."

And okay, he had no right to know, but he still wanted to. Maybe identities were a thing he always wanted to know, but he knew not to broach that subject.

He saw the moment defeat settled in and her shoulders deflated. "He's just a boy in my class. He sits right in front of me."

He paused, a creeping thought passing through. As weird as the thought was, it did bring forth a chuckle to his lips. "Wouldn't that be something."

She eyed him questionably. "What's that, kitty?"

He shrugged, drawing her closer by the waist so that most of the weight was settled on him and not her feet. She seemed tired after the whole debacle and he would give her rest where he could. "If I was the boy you that sat in front of you. That I was the boy you were in love with, My civilian self."

She chuckled, hands moving from his shoulders to cover her mouth as if to muffle the sound. "That would be… something."

He laughed osm more. Just the idea. Marinette. If Marinette liked him. If Marinette was Ladybug. It'd already been a thought, a good one. A happy one. But he grimaced at the possibility, Or lack thereof. "Yeah… but that would mean you'd be her… and it's already been proven that that couldn't be. You two were next to each other. You took her home after she helped us with that teacher."

And because he knew that Marinette didn't like Adrien in that way, and seeing as Marinette was the one who sat in front of him, the boy Ladybug had been pinning after couldn't be him.

For a fraction of a second, her eyes blew open again— and he was almost ready to backtrack, try to take away his words— before they fell back to a half lidded gaze. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again.

It felt like she had X-ray vision right there and then. Like she could see right through him and every little secret he possessed.

Nimbling running her fingers along his chin and jawline— all the while he tried to keep his thoughts in the present, but with fingers doing that; it seemed near impossible. He did lose the battle to keep his eyes open though— before she whispered, "What… what if it was all an illusion. To keep you from figuring out my identity?"

Apparently, the battle was not over yet, because his gaze snapped opened the second those words flew from her mouth. Her eyes were laced with worry, but she trudged on, Everything soft as she said it, "What if what you thought you saw wasn't it? Because ya know. I had a lot of miraculous on me that day. Including the fox."

Oh. She...she… _was_. Everything around him lit up, despite it being so late in the night. She was _she was she was._

She must've found enjoyment in his suffering. Even so, he begged for more because she was the cause and anything she did, he would gladly receive. "I'd be one of the luckiest blacks cats to have ever lived."

She laughed, her hand now cupping his cheek. "Black cats are actually lucky. People just have it mixed up."

He turned his head just a little to brush his lips in a small kiss against her palm. "But I interacted with Multimouse when I gave her my ring. Illusions disappear if you touch them."

Ladybug nodded. And he registered that that was Marinette nodded at him, with her cute half upturned smile and gleaming blue eyes that he wanted to look at forever. And she loved him. "I was Multimouse in the beginning. But the illusion started from _Ladybug_ purifying the akuma to when she took _Marinette_ home."

He was never _not_ gonna love this girl. She was his entire universe and he wasn't gonna let a single day pass without their knowing. Now that he knew, now that he could understand the feelings he had for so long bottled up from Marinette, because he was in love with Ladybug and he couldn't grasp what he felt for his classmate, it felt good to let it out. To let everything in the open.

He loved Marinette. He loved Ladybug. He loved all of her. And without him knowing from being denied that she had any feelings for him as Adrien when he thought Marinette could've, and being rejected from Ladybug as Chat Noir, it was all a whirlwind of the fact that she did indeed love him. He was the other boy.

This.. it had to be his birthday. Maybe Christmas? Some celebratory holiday that could accumulate to all that was happening right now.

Well, she did say it was their anniversary. So that had to count for something to give reason as to why this night was so amazing.

"I can't believe I didn't see. It's so obvious." He wanted to kiss her. _Really kiss_ her. And while she seemed to want that too, he held back for the moment. "But I thought you said it was dangerous to reveal ourselves."

She hummed, taking those lips he wanted so badly to be pressed against his and tightened them into a thin line. "It was more Master's rule than mine. There were our miraculous at stake. And while I agreed with it, I didn't always think it was right."

Some fallway hair had fallen out of place, and Chat was happy to tuck it back behind her hear. "So, what made you change your mind. You've been the guardian for over a year, why are you letting me know now? Sure, it was an easy guess after what I just said about Multimouse, but you didn't have to confirm anything, bugaboo."

Her eyes landed on his chest and he could easily read the thoughts running through her head before she even spoke. "At first, I _did_ think it'd be safer. That there had to be a reason to his rule. With Hawkmoth still out there, with wanting to keep the people we care about safe, and everything in between."

She sighed, untangling herself from his arms, and twisted to rest her arms on a nearby railing to get a better view of the city— or rather, probably something that wasn't him, because he knew her too well.

If she looked at him right now, she'd lose whatever cool she had built up for this. "But as things started to go on, I could see how much more and more I needed to know. Thoughts lingered. What if Plagg becomes ill. What if you need to get a hold of me and you had to know my identity to do so?"

"We always think of something—"

"And which is why I was thinking of this," She steamrolled past his reasoning. "Because one day, we might be back into a corner and not even realize it. We need each other, more than ever. I talked to Tikki about it for so long, I have been— for months. There may be consequences in knowing, but there may be even more consequences in not. I need you to know. You're the only person I could begin to trust with this. My partner."

It made sense, and he felt weak in the knees at the idea that she trusted him so fully. He went to stand next to her, placing his hand on top of hers, and even though he had just been holding her mere minutes ago, it was intimate, and with the sparks striking every nerve in his body, he wasn't sure if he ever feels the ability to think around this girl again. "You still didn't have to."

"I wanted to." She insisted. "I always wanted you to know. It was all just a complicated mess. But I wanted to be able to text you, chat with you. To be able to talk to someone who could understand what this felt like. I just kept it to myself."

His arm went around her shoulder, pulling her close. "Well, we can have that now. We might have to be careful, but we can. No Master Fu to worry about, we know how to protect each other from Hawkmoth. He'll be a factor that we can't hide from. But I'm sorry your decision on identities were rushed a little, even if you decided we could share. This wasn't probably how you wanted it to go."

She took his hand, twining his fingers with her own, "Actually, I was gonna do it tonight, as a celebration to our anniversary. It just… didn't go exactly as planned."

He lowered his face to be just a hairbreathes away from hers, "Then, sorry it didn't exactly as you wanted your convoluted plan to go." He teased.

Her smile was infectious. "That's okay," She whispered. "The other part of my plan's probably still perfectly intact." She looked at him and he was a goner. "Been trying to do it sooner, but we kept getting sideswiped. Now though, I'm not letting anything short of you saying no, stop me from achieving it."

She leaned up, her waist down still pressed against the railing, so he was more than happy to accommodate and lower himself to match her height better for their lips to be so tangibly close.

"Oh. And what's that?"

For all that this year had brought them, for all the blindness, and silliness and missed opportunities. For all the mess-ups that they had to endure, being actually to look at her, he knew all the mix up signals they had gone back and forth on were worth it.

She smirked before placing one hand on the back of his neck to keep balance, "This," And finally, finally brought his lips in to meet hers.

In a kiss that he would never forget for as long as he lived. For as long as he breathed, he would have Marinette Dupain Cheng's lips— what they tasted like, the feeling, both physically and the emotional sense of what home and happiness, and warmth was supposed to feel like— embedded into his memory forever.

* * *

And he was so thankful to report one very important thing afterwards. After 25 years of marriage, three beautiful children, two dogs, two cats— two and a half, he loved to remind his wife— and a hamster or four—

He never missed a message like _that_ again.


End file.
